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Kyiv-Mohyla Academy held a meeting with Ukrainian and Danish ministers of foreign affairs

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Published on Monday, 26 February 2018 14:21

The Department of Political Studies, BA Program in International Relations, Social Communications and Regional Studies, The Association of Political Studies Students and the International Relations Office of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy have organized an event where the students could meet two prominent diplomats – ministers of foreign affairs of Denmark Anders Samuelsen and his Ukrainian colleague Pavlo Klimkin – listen to their debates and ask some questions.

The meeting was moderated by the professor of our Political Studies Department Mykola Hnatiuk, who also provided us with some important background information: 1) the BA Program in International Relations, Social Communications and Regional Studies is brand-new (launched only a year ago), but already very popular among students and applicants; 2) this meeting is not only a great opportunity for the students to communicate with real-life diplomats, it is also a kind of introductory event for the Ukrainian-Danish Conference on the Ukrainian Reforms Problems that is going to take part in June.

The main topics discussed during the meeting were:

• Ukraine’s way into European future

• the example Denmark gives us – a tiny country that managed to reach incredibly high quality standards

• the ways in which Ukraine has to deal with its current problems, the greatest of which is corruption – both diplomats believe that we are able to cope with that

• the importance of international relations and external support for the development of our state – Denmark is open in this regard and glad to help us

• the significant role of the future generations (including the auditory, of course) for the further reforms and international integration

Both ministers seemed sincere in their debates and especially when they answered the questions asked by the listeners.

Here are some remarks from the students who took part in the event:

“I liked this event very much, got a lot of positive emotions. The meeting was beyond my expectations, the atmosphere was great. It’s so interesting to see those people just like this, because it’s not like when you watch TV, it’s real, you can speak in person, can ask your questions. The most emotional was the moment when someone mentioned Crimea, and the guys who live there, who have no opportunity to take part in this event, and in all events of Ukrainian politics, history and culture – it almost made me cry.”

Anastasiia Zavodii, 1st year student of BA Program in International Relations, Department of Social Science and Social Technologies

“It was very important that we, Ukrainians, realized that we really have this international support, as the Danish minister of foreign affairs said. And it was interesting, when both ministers claimed that reforms are not the main thing, the main thing is our patriotism, when we realize our own responsibility for our state, because if our citizens love our country, if we are open to the reforms, then our way to the EU is going to be shorter, or at least easier. Such events motivate us to stay in Ukraine, or to come back here, to develop our country. This is very important, and it’s a great pleasure that such people come to the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.”

Daria Derevianchuk, 1st year student of BA Program in International Relations, Department of Social Science and Social Technologies

A report by Olesia Dalebiha, 2nd year Master student, Department of Philology; Strategic Development Center